UNIVERSAL SERVICE AND ACCESS
Home PC Ownership Reaches 50 Percent Mark (SJM)
FCC Adopts Rules to Promote the Deployment of
Advanced Telecommunications Services (FCC)
FCC Adopts Two Orders Related to the Schools and Libraries
Universal Service Support Mechanism (FCC)
COMPETITION
AT&T To Enter Some Local Markets Using Its 'Fixed
Wireless' Technology (WSJ)
FCC Increases Consumer Access to Long Distance
Rate Information (FCC)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Bill on Protecting Databases Resurfaces in House (CyberTimes)
FCC
A New FCC for the 21st Century (FCC)
INTERNATIONAL
Australia to Crack Down on Internet Porn (SJM)
Beijing Orders Magazine On Reform Issues To Cease Publication (WP)
UNIVERSAL SERVICE AND ACCESS
HOME PC OWNERSHIP REACHES 50 PERCENT MARK
Issue: Access
A leading market research firm has released data saying that over half of
American households have personal computers. InfoBead's annual survey
reports that 50.3 of homes, up 5.5% from just a year ago, have at least one
PC. A recent surge in computer sales is attributed to falling prices and the
growth of the Internet. Recent data suggests that PCs could soon come to be
considered an integral home appliance like televisions are today. "The
potential for the PC is much more promising than television," said Ha
Varian, dean of the School of Information Systems and Management at the
University of California, Berkeley. "It's interactive. It's not just people
sitting in front of a tube." The steep price drops, however, have not lead
to a growth in sales among households with income below $30,000.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/002817.htm
FCC ADOPTS RULES TO PROMOTE THE DEPLOYMENT OF ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SERVICES
Issue: Universal Access
(CC Docket No. 98-147). The Commission adopted several measures 3/18 to
enable competitive providers of advanced services, such as high-speed
Internet access, to deploy new technologies on a faster, more cost-effective
basis to consumers.This Order is intended to create marketplace conditions
conducive to the nationwide deployment of advanced telecommunications
services, consistent with the goals of section 706. The Order adopted
facilitates competitors' ability to access space in the incumbent's central
office (collocation space). The Commission adopted rules to strengthen
collocation requirements and reduce the costs and delays associated with
collocation. In particular, the Commission required incumbent LECs to make
new collocation arrangements, including cageless and shared collocation,
available to competing carriers. New entrants will be able to locate all
equipment necessary for interconnection, whether or not such equipment has a
switching function. The Commission also established spectrum compatibility
rules in order to promote the timely deployment of advanced services without
significantly degrading the performance of other services. For more info
contact Michael Pryor at (202) 418-1580.
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1999/nrcc9019.html
FCC ADOPTS TWO ORDERS RELATED TO THE SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES UNIVERSAL SERVICE
SUPPORT MECHANISM
Issue: Universal Service
(CC Docket No. 96-45) 1) In the first Order, adopted 3/18, the Commission
clarified how the rules of funding priority should be applied to requests
for discounts for services, typically internal connections, that are shared
by two or more schools or libraries. Consistent with the Commission's goal
that universal service support be directed first to the most economically
disadvantaged schools and libraries, the Commission clarified that, when
sufficient funds are not available to fund all internal connection requests,
funds for discounts to schools and libraries shall be allocated beginning
with those applicants at the ninety percent discount level and, to the
extent funds remain, to applicants at each descending single discount
percentage, that is, eighty-nine percent, eighty-eight percent, and so on.
2) In the second Order, the Commission addressed concerns raised by various
schools and libraries in light of the Commission's extension of the 1998-99
funding year to June 30, 1999. To ensure that schools and libraries have
sufficient time to use universal service support that was approved in the
first funding year for nonrecurring services such as installation of
internal connections, the Commission extended the deadline for using such
support until September 30, 1999 -- three months beyond the end of the first
funding year. This extension addresses concerns raised by schools and
libraries experiencing difficulty completing installation of internal
connections within the first funding period.
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1999/nrcc9020.html
COMPETITION
AT&T TO ENTER SOME LOCAL MARKETS USING ITS 'FIXED WIRELESSS' TECHNOLOGY
Issue: Competition/Local
AT&T's chairman says plans are moving forward to provide local telephone
service to communities that can't be reached by cable-TV lines. He says the
company has been able to restructure costs, making, it "realistic to offer fixed
wireless products where AT&T fails to secure agreements with local cable
operators." The fixed wireless project, called Project Angel, involves
attaching an antennae-like device to the side of a house, able to carry four
telephone lines, high speed data and video. The cost is $750 dollars a home and
is similar to what AT&T would like to offer consumers via cable lines. The plan
will be tested in an unnamed Metropolitan city and if successful will be
marketed in other cities in the year 2000. Ideally, AT&T would like to make
agreements with cable companies, allowing them access to 66% of US cable lines,
in order for AT&T to offer Internet service to its 66 million long-distance
customers. With the TCI/AT&T merger, AT&T already has access to 40% of homes
that
use cable. Obtaining agreements with other cable companies in order to use
their
cable lines has been difficult, AT%T's Armstrong says. The AT&T agreement
made with
Time Warner also remains murky. Media One, an independent company with ties to
Time Warner, needs to give their consent to the deal by April and as of yet,
has not agreed.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B6), AUTHOR: Rebecca Blumenstein]
http://wsj.com/
FCC INCREASES CONSUMER ACCESS TO LONG DISTANCE RATE INFORMATION
Issue: Long Distance/Competition
(CC Docket No. 96-61). On 3/18 the FCC adopted a rule to require that long
distance carriers publicly disclose their rates to the public in an
easy-to-understand, clear format, once these services are detariffed. This
will make it easier for consumers to obtain information to help select the
long distance plan that best suits their individual needs. Consumers will be
able to get information directly from carriers, and the on-line public
disclosure requirement will help ensure that this information is dispersed
as widely as possible. Consumers also can obtain this information through
one of the many consumer organizations and other businesses that collect and
analyze long distance rate and service information and offer their
comparative analyses to the public. The public disclosure requirement will
also make it easier for these businesses and consumer organizations to
obtain this information. For more info contact Margaret Egler (202/418-2319)
and Andrea Kearney (202/418-7271).
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1999/nrcc9018.html
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Bill on Protecting Databases Resurfaces in House
BILL ON PROTECTING DATABASES RESURFACES IN HOUSE
Issue: Intellectual Property
Representative Howard Coble (R-NC)http://www.house.gov/coble, Chairman of
the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on intellectual property, has
introduced legislation (H.R.354)that has re-ignited a debate on how to
balance protection of databases and preserving access to information in the
public domain. Companies have sought the legislation for some time so they
can protect public domain information they compile, catalogue and resell.
Opponents to the legislation say it will create electronic toll gates to
information that is now widely available free on the Internet -- from
scientific research to stock quotes, telephone and e-mail listings, even
directories of Internet domain names. Rep Coble says his new bill strikes a
balance between the two sides: "The balance provides adequate protection to
insure there is an incentive for companies to invest in the development of
collections of information, without inhibiting members of the scientific,
library and research communities from carrying on their work." A coalition
of more than 100 companies, education institutions, nonprofit and trade
associations signed a paper given to the committee that said the proposal
remained too broad, and would change the basic information policy of the
country. The Clinton Administration has echoed their concerns. [See
http://www.house.gov/judiciary/sub106.htm for a list of the subcommittee
members]
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing (jeri( at )nytimes.com)]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/03/cyber/articles/19data.html
FCC
A NEW FCC FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Issue: FCC
The report submitted to Congress from FCC Chairman Bill Kennard charting a
reorganization plan for the agency. [Also see
http://www.benton.org/Updates/fcc031899.html]
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://www.fcc.gov/Reports/fcc21.html
INTERNATIONAL
AUSTRALIA TO CRACK DOWN ON INTERNET PORN
Issue: Content/International
The Australian government has plans to introduce legislation that would ban
all X-rated and illegal material on Australian-based Internet sites.
Although the Internet Industry Association fully backs the proposal, it
warns that new laws might not even put a dent in objectionable content,
because most sexually explicit material comes from abroad. "It's simply
impractical for local ISPs and carriers to block material that's coming from
offshore,'' said Peter Coroneos, head of the association. "We would love to
see the government provide funding for educational materials so that parents
can learn about things they can do in the home," Coroneos adds.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/052522.htm
BEIJING ORDERS MAGAZINE ON REFORM ISSUES TO CEASE PUBLICATION
Issue: Censorship
Chinese authorities have ordered magazine Fang (Way), dedicated to debate and
political reform, to cease publication. The magazine defines itself as
sustaining a reformist and academic debate about the political future of China.
It is largely read by scholars and government officials. Despite the government
pressure against media and publishing houses, Chinese writers and publishers
continue to resist. The magazine was criticized at an official
censorship meeting in January and ordered to stop publication then. Editors
resisted, saying they had not been given official, written notification. Last
week, the editors received official notification from the State Press and
Publications Administrations to cease publication. Editors say they plan to,
"refashion the magazine and seek permission to publish again." In addition, the
Chinese government has announced that Fang Jue, a former government official
who has called for freedom of the press and direct presidential elections, will
stand trial on charges of illegal business practices. The New York-based group
Human Rights in China say that all trials in the government-controlled courts
result in guilty verdicts, so the only uncertainty remains the severity of
Fang Jue's sentence. These attempts to squelch reformist voices come days
before US
and European officials are set decide whether or not to seek a vote of censure
of China by the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva -- a measure that did not
receive US support last year, as part of the Clinton Administration's attempt
to encourage China to improve their human rights record.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A23), AUTHOR: Michael Laris]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-03/19/074l-031999-idx.html
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...and we are outta here. Save 'em 'til they count, Sammy.